Eclecticism in Foreign Language Teaching

Abstract

This article aims to provide a rationale for employing an eclectic approach to foreign language teaching when circumstances do not allow for the adoption of a single method. It is an invitation to practising teachers to appreciate the advantages of the well-thought out eclecticism in language instruction which could remedy a situation failed by blindly sticking to a fashionable trend in methodology. This article, while acknowledging the complexities of balancing seemingly unmatching syllabuses and methodology, stresses the value of eclecticism for offering solutions to local situations. It is also concerned with the attitude of some leading theoreticians to eclecticism who claim that it can be employed in lesson organisation, course, syllabus and materials design.